OBJECTIVE To investigate the changes of serum leukocyte differentiation antigen CD14, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), high mobility group protein B-1 (HMGB-1) and human myeloid cell trigger receptor-1 (TREM-1) in patients with infection-induced suppurative pulpitis and analyze the diagnostic value of each index.

METHODS Ninety-three patients with suppurative pulpitis caused by infection in Tianjin Stomatological Hospital from Sep. 2019 to Aug. 2022 were prospectively selected (the study group) and divided into 51 patients with acute suppurative pulpitis (the acute group) and 42 patients with chronic suppurative pulpitis (the chronic group) according to their symptoms, and 98 healthy physical examined subjects (the control group) during the same period were selected. Serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1, and TREM-1 levels in each group (acute and chronic patients before and after treatment) were compared, the correlation between acute suppurative pulpitis and serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 was analyzed, and the diagnostic values of serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 alone and combined detection for infection-induced suppurative pulpitis were analyzed.

RESULTS Serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 levels in the study group were (3.04±1.01)mg/L, (312.14±100.56)ng/ml, (11.01±3.66)ng/ml and (14.94±4.96)ng/L, respectively, higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 after treatment in acute group, and before and after treatment in chronic group were all lower than those before treatment in acute group, and those after treatment were lower than those before treatment in the chronic group (P < 0.05). Acute suppurative pulpitis was positively correlated with serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 levels (r=0.686, 0.657, 0.696, 0.713, all P < 0.05). The area under curve (AUC) of combined detection serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 for infection-induced suppurative pulpitis was 0.947, higher than that of the single detection (P < 0.05), with the sensitivity and specificity 93.55% and 83.67%, respectively.

CONCLUSION Serum CD14, ICAM-1, HMGB-1 and TREM-1 in patients with infection-induced suppurative pulpitis are highly expressed, and are further highly expressed in infection-induced acute suppurative pulpitis, the four indicat are positively correlated with infection-induced acute suppurative pulpitis, and their combined detection has high diagnostic value for infection-induced suppurative pulpitis.